United States Navy and Philippines Conduct Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity

Washington, D.C.; December 13th, 2025.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Navy conducted a bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone from December 9th through December 10th, 2025, demonstrating a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, officials with U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs announced today. The Philippines and the U.S. Conduct Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity reported that the activity took place in the South China Sea, where participating forces from both nations engaged in coordinated maneuvers and interoperability exercises that emphasized shared maritime domain awareness and operational cohesion. The Philippines and the U.S. Conduct Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity stated that the cooperative activity was conducted in accordance with international law, with due regard to the safety, navigational rights, and freedoms of all nations, reaffirming the commitment of both nations to uphold lawful use of the seas and airspace.

Units participating in the bilateral maritime cooperation included the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) and a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 45, which executed a low-altitude flyover while steaming alongside the Philippine Navy Jose Rizal-class frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF 150) in formation on December 10th, 2025. The Philippines and the U.S. Conduct Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity described additional participation by aircraft from the Philippine Air Force, including FA-50 light combat aircraft and A-29B light attack aircraft, contributing to the overall complexity of the activity and illustrating broad domain integration across surface and air components. The Philippines and the U.S. Conduct Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity emphasized that the exercise built on a series of previous cooperative activities, enhancing interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. naval forces while demonstrating collective capability to respond to evolving maritime security requirements.

According to The Philippines and the U.S. Conduct Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity, this bilateral event continues a pattern of joint training and engagement activities between U.S. and Philippine defense forces throughout 2025, reflecting a sustained effort to reinforce shared security objectives. Past iterations of cooperative maritime activities have also included other services and partners, affirming a pattern of coordinated readiness and mutual operational familiarity across multiple domains. These engagements serve to strengthen combined tactics, communications, and procedures, enabling both nations to operate seamlessly in complex maritime environments. The Philippines and the U.S. Conduct Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity underscored that these cooperative efforts align with broader strategic goals to promote maritime stability and uphold internationally recognized norms in the Indo-Pacific region.

In addition to the surface and air components, officials noted that the continuity of activities such as Maritime Cooperative Activities reinforces the longstanding alliance between the United States and the Philippines, and emphasizes the importance of collective readiness and interoperability in addressing shared challenges across the maritime domain. The Philippines and the U.S. Conduct Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity reaffirmed that the personnel and assets involved in the December 9th through December 10th activity represent the ongoing commitment of both nations to operate together, build capacity, and enhance collective defense and security cooperation across the region.

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Sources

• The Philippines and the U.S. Conduct Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs (official U.S. Navy press release).
• U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs official press office reports on bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activities conducted in 2025.